Today’s learning is dedicated to the refuah sheleima of Simcha Nosson ben Zissel.

Attribute # 12 – As You Swore to Our Forefathers – אשר נשבעת לאבתינו

There are those who act improperly, yet HaKadosh Baruch Hu has mercy on all. The Talmud explains, ‘I shall favor those who I shall favor’ (Shemos 33:19). HaKadosh Baruch Hu said, “This treasure is for those who do not act properly” (Berachos 7a). There is a treasure-house of grace that HaKadosh Baruch Hu graces and gives to them as a free gift.

This is because HaKadosh Baruch Hu said, “They have the merit of the forefathers; I swore to the Avos. Therefore, even though they act improperly, they will merit because they are the descendants of the Avos to whom I swore. Consequently, I will lead and guide them, until they are rectified.”

So too should a person act. Even if he is harmed by wicked people, he should not respond cruelly, humiliate them or the like. Rather, he should have mercy on them and say, “After all, they are sons of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. If they are unworthy, their forefathers were worthy and proper. A person who disgraces the children, disgraces the forefathers. I do not want their forefathers to be disgraced because of me.” He should conceal their shame and help them rectify themselves as much as he can.   —   Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, Tomer Devorah

This Attribute of Mercy spotlights two themes; Zechus Avos (ancestral merit) and matnas chinam (gratuitous gifts). In this post, we will discuss the former, examining how Hashem elects to focus on the good deeds of our patriarchs and matriarchs, thereby stirring heavenly mercy.  

Rabbi Shmuel Meir Riachi explains, “Michah HaNavi lists the Attributes of Hashem’s mercy one by one, with each Attribute rising to a higher and higher level. This current Attribute is an awesome praise of Hashem’s great compassion, since it shows His pity even for people who have no merit of their own.“

For example, the previous Attribute taught us to be more tolerant and forgiving towards those who perform acts of kindness. Their compassion is their redeeming quality. As Rebbe Nachman teaches (Sefer HaMiddos, Ancestral Merit # 3), “A person whose deeds are filled with kindness has no need of ancestral merit.”

But when one’s own merits have been depleted, Hashem nonetheless acts compassionately in the merit of their ancestry, and in the merit of the vow that He swore to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov to show mercy towards their descendants.

Last week’s Torah portion discusses the Akeidah and how Avraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Yitzchak for the Will of Hashem. After Avraham passed his most difficult trial, he stood in prayer before Hashem and said (Vayikra Rabbah 29:9), “Master of the Universe! When You ordered me to sacrifice my son, there were thoughts in my heart of what to answer You. I could have said, ‘Yesterday You told me that Yitzchak would carry on my lineage, and today You tell me to slaughter him as a sacrifice?’ I could have answered this, but I conquered my yetzer hara and said nothing. So too, when Yitzchak’s descendants sin before You, remember the Akeidah of Yitzchak their forefather. Rise from Your Throne of Judgment and sit upon Your Throne of Mercy. Have mercy upon them, and transform Your judgment into mercy.”

Hashem then swore to fulfill Avraham’s request, as is written (Bereishis 22:16), “I swear by Myself, says Hashem.”

There is a general rule that a mitzvah creates a channel of blessing that can exist for two thousand generations. However, as Rabbi Riachi explains, this vow contains an additional, deeper element of mercy. Hashem swore that when a person lacks their own personal merit, they will still be shown mercy, for they are a descendant of Avraham Avinu, regardless of how much time has passed; our ancestral merit is eternal. As the verse says (Vayikra 26:42), “I will remember My covenant with Yaakov, and also My covenant with Yitzchak, and also My covenant with Avraham will I remember.”

That said, Rebbe Nachman teaches that “ancestral merit” is something we all must rely on. He writes (Sefer HaMiddos, Prayer # 52), “When asking Hashem for something, mention the merit of your ancestors.”

In fact, it is for this reason we begin the Amidah prayer by mentioning the Avos. Before requesting anything from Hashem, we first recall our forefathers, thereby finding favor with Hashem.

Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman provides a remarkable insight regarding zechus avos and its implications. He writes, “Zechus avos, or ancestral merit, describes the general or particular good influence over a person resulting from the good deeds, righteousness and piety of one’s ancestors. It can be expressed in the form of protection from harm, Divine aid, beneficial opportunities or even as a predisposition for righteousness. You can think of it as a type of ‘spiritual inheritance’ from one’s predecessors, which bequeaths certain advantages according to the nature and extent of the inheritance.”

“For example, someone whose ancestors were tall will very likely inherit the innate advantages of being tall. This is so even though the person himself did nothing to ‘deserve’ these advantages, but they will nevertheless accompany him throughout life. Similarly, internal traits (such as a pleasant temperament), or talents (such as musical ability), may also be passed down from forebearers to progeny. These beneficial traits and talents become part of the matrix in which the person operates and with which he experiences life.”

“So too with ancestral merit. The good deeds, Torah study and piety accrued by the righteous are passed to, and continue to have a beneficial effect on, their descendants. This is the case even if the descendants don’t deserve it in their own right… Hopefully this ancestral merit will provide the opportunities and predisposition upon which the offspring can capitalize in order to continue the righteous ways of their forebearers.“

“We find this idea in the resolution of seemingly contradictory Talmudic teachings regarding in whose merit the Jews received the miraculous manna, the clouds of glory and the travelling well of water. According to one Talmudic source these gifts were given in the merit of Avraham’s hospitality to the angels (Bereishes 18:4-8). The teaching thus states (Bava Metzia 86b): ‘As a reward for the ‘milk and butter’ (which Avraham served to his visitors), they received the manna; as a reward for ‘and he stood over them (to serve them)’, they received the pillar of the cloud; as a reward for ‘let some water be taken (to wash your feet), they received the well of Miriam.’”   

“However, the Maharsha notes a contradictory Talmudic source (Taanis 9a) which attributes the manna, clouds of glory and well of water to the merit of Moshe, Aharon and Miriam, respectively. So were these miracles performed for the Jewish People in the merit of Avraham or, rather, in the merit of Moshe, Aharon and Miriam?”   

Rabbi Ullman concludes, “The answer is that the gifts were bestowed as a result of a process, not due to a single event or individual. The process began with the righteousness of Avraham, whose merit planted the seed of possibility for the miracle to occur. This ancestral merit of Avraham was passed on in potential to his progeny — Moshe, Aharon and Miriam. They then capitalized upon their ancestral predisposition for righteousness and brought that seed of merit into fruition through the formation of the manna, clouds of glory and the travelling well.”

With this understanding, perhaps we can say that zechus avos runs far deeper than the heroic acts performed thousands of years ago; zechus avos teaches us that the love and dedication towards Hashem and the Torah is intrinsic, it courses through our veins, it is our essence.

Hashem knows us better than we know ourselves, He sees us for who we truly are. While we tend to focus on our shortcomings, Hashem, in His infinite mercy, focuses on inherent beauty and splendor.

As Rebbe Nachman teaches (Likutei Moharan I, 17), “The Holy One anticipated the pride and joy that He would have from the Jewish people. As is written (Isaiah 49:3), ‘Yisrael, I take pride in you’… Thus, absolutely the entire world was created only for the sake of the pride which Hashem would take in the Jewish people. And this was [the intention in] all of creation, namely, that the general creation was for the sake of the collective pride that He would take in the entirety of the Jewish people. So too, the details of creation; they were created for the particular pride He takes in Yisrael. This is because each individual Jew possesses an innate worthiness for which the Holy One takes pride specifically in him. And even the least worthy Jew, even Jewish sinners, as long as he is called ‘Jew’, he possesses an innate worthiness for which the Holy One takes pride specifically in him.”

Hashem understands that we are exiled and surrounded by temptations, distractions, confusion, and darkness. Yes, we may stumble along the way, but Hashem sees our pure soul; a soul that can never be tainted; a soul that stems from the elite, from Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.

In closing, when a person is harmed and has the opportunity to retaliate, but instead mercifully refrains from doing so, in appreciation of the offender’s virtuous forefathers, it awakens Heavenly mercy. In turn, Hashem has mercy on Bnei Yisrael, even when we are unworthy, in the merit of our righteous Avos. As the piyut says (Yom Leyabashah, sung at a bris), “For the sake of the fathers, rescue the children.” 

With Hashem’s help, in our next post we will discuss the concept of matnas chinam, the treasury of unearned gifts, and how we can practically apply these concepts.

TO BE CONTINUED…